Type-writing machine.



A. J. BRIGGS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1913.

Patented July 20, 1915.

4 SHE ETSSHEET l- HISATTDRNEV A. J. BRIGGS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZS, I9I3- 1,147,299., Patented July 20, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTEIRQ KW M HISATTEJRNEV A. J. BRIGGS- TYPE WRITING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1913.

Patnted July 20, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIGS.

WITNEESES: INVENTEIR;

AZKMJYZMVL HIIEATTURNEV A. J. BRIGGS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATIONFILED SEPT. 25. 1913.

Patented July 20, 1915.

4 SHEETS$HEET 4.

|NVENTDR= I 7 Hi5 ATTURNLY- WITNEEEEE- Kwnp s'rarns PATENT orrrciz.

[antenna :r. BRIGGS, or svmicusn, NEW YORK, Assreivon "r REMINGTON TYPE-wnrrnn comranr, or ILION, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK. 1

trizrnwmrme MAGHINE. 7

. a To all whom it may concern:

, :Be. it known that I, ARTHUR J. BRIGGS,

citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, in the countyof- Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inType- Writing Machines, of which the following 1is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly tocaseshift mechanism for such machines.

It is practicable with but two types on a bar toeifect a relative. easeshift-movement between the platen and type bars with the. aid ofordinary parallel links. However, when a greater number of types, say

three, are provided on each bar, it is impracticable to use ordinaryparallel links to guide thefshifted part. This is due to the fact thatthe platen, or the shifted-part,

, swings in an are at the printing point rement.

suiting in'a difference in the extent of angular movement through whichthe type bars must move to the printing point in different casepositions of the platen or shifted ele- This would render it necessary,in order to avoid throwing most, if not all, of the types off theirfeet, to make the types so thatthe printing faces on each bar would beina plane or planes different from the ,plane or planes of the type faceson every other bar, which would be impracticable from a manufacturingpoint of view.

One of the main objects of my invention, generally stated, is toovercome these dis- ;advantages and to provide a simple and efficientlinkage which will guide the platen, orshifted part; soas .to effect astraight lin'e movementat the printing point; so that all of the typebars have the same extent of angular movement to. the printing point inthe different casepositions of theparts; so that the printing faces onall of the type bars may be made in a like manner; sothat it is renderedpracticable to make the type faces on each bar in the same plane orsubstantially the same plane;

. and so thatthe construction will aid materially in the production of asimple and efiicient ,typewritin'g; machine. which may be manufacturedatsmall cost. I

' To the above and other .end's which will hereinafter appear, myinvention consists in the features of construction, arrange-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2t), 1915.

Application filed September 25, 1913. Serial No. 791,734.

1 is a vertical, fore and aft, sectional view of suflicient number ofparts of one form;

of typewriting machine to illustrate my invention in its embodimenttherein; parts being represented in the-normal position for printinglower case characters. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of aportion of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary skele' ton view, withportions in side elevation and portions in section, of the case shiftingmechanism and some of the associatedparts; the view showing the parts asthey appear for writing figures and other u per case characters. Fig. 4is a like view 0 the same but showing the parts as they appear" forwriting capitals and other upper case characters. Fig.5 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the different positions parts of the caseshifting mechanism assume when the platen is in different writing orcase positions. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detail, vertical, fore and aft,sectional view showing the means for locking either case shift key inthe actuated position, the view also illustrating some of the associatedparts. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view of a type block.

I have shown my invention embodied in the present instance in afront-strike double shift machine, the frame of which comprises sideplates 1 united by a front cross plate 2, by a keyboard 3 and by v across plate 4, the latter. also constituting .a type bar segment. Aseries of segmentally arranged type bars 5 are pivoted at 6 to moveupwardly and r'earwardly to the printing position. The type bars'aremounted on hangers (not shown) on the type bar segment 4, the pivots ofthe type bars being disposed in an inclined plane as indicated p in Fig.3. Each type bar, in the present instance, is provided with three types7,. 8 and 9. The type bars are actuated by suitable key controlledactuating devices (not shown) operative on pull links 10; which bars.

are connected at their rear ends to the type The types are adapted toimpact against the front face of a cylindrical platen 11 mounted on ashaft 12 which is received in bearing openings in end plates 13 of acarriage. These end plates are fixed to and extend upwardly from atraverse or guide bar 14 formed so as to provide oppositely groovedbearings 15 for the reception of anti-friction balls or rollers 16. Theforward set of anti-friction rollers is likewise received in a ball raceor track 17 of a shift bar, rail or frame 18. A plate 19 is formed witha grooved guide way 20 to receive the rear set of anti-friction balls16, the plate 15 being secured to the shift bar by screws 21. hecarriage, comprising the member 14 and the end plates 13 united by a tierod 13 and carrying the platen 11, is thus mounted to travel-from sideto side of the machine 29 on the shift rail, bar or frame 18 and isshiftable with the latter in the case shifting movements thereof. 1

The parts are mounted for case shifting movements in the followingmanner: A pair of relatively long parallel links 22 is normallysubstantially horizontally disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The rearend of each link 22 is pivoted, as at 23, to a side plate 1 of the frameof the machine. Each link 22 is therefore pivoted to turn on a fixedcenter at its rear end. The forward end of each link is pivoted at 24 tothe shift rail or frame 18, the point of pivotal connection of each linkdescribing an arc of which the pivot 23 is a. center. Beneath theparallel links 22 is a second pair of relatively short parallel links25, each of which is pivoted at its rear end to the frame of themachine, as at 26. The forward end of each an of the links 25 ispivoted, as at 27, to a depending arm 28 which forms part of the shiftbar or frame 18. It will be understood, therefore, that each link 25turns on a fixed center 26 and describes an arc around said at center atits point of pivotal connection 27 with the shift rail. It will be seenthat the links 25 are shorter than the links 22 and normally extend atan angle thereto, although both sets of links in the present inan stanceare directed fore and aft of the machine. It will also be understood,from a comparison of Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and from an inspection of Fig. 5,that the angular relation of the relatively short and long links variesduring case shift movements of the parts, and that the two sets of linksare brought into parallelism, or substantial parallelism, when theplaten attains a given position intermediate. the two extreme case toshifted positions thereof. The purpose of this linkage for guiding andcontrolling the platen in its case shift movements is to effeet astraight line movement of theplaten at the printing point in theshifting moveas ment of the latter to its different case positions, orto bring the printing points in all three positions in a straight lineas will hereinafter more clearly appear.

It will be understood that the platen is normally in the lowermostposition repre- 7o sented in Fig. 1 and is shifted in one direction'fromthis position to a plurality of different case positions, as indicatedin Figs.

3 and 4. When the platen is in the lowermost position shown in Fig. 1the lower case types 7 are adapted to impact at the printing point,whereas the types 9 carrying the figures and other upper case charactersare adapted to impact at the printing point when the platen is in the sohighest position represented in Fig. 3. When the platen is shifted tothe position shown in Fig. 4 the intermediate types 8 on the type bars,which are for capitals or other upper case characters, are adapted as tostrike at the printing point.

Means for effecting the relative case shifting movements between theplaten and printing instrumentalities, are shown in the present instancecomprising two levers 29 and 30 an arranged side by side and pivoted tothe left-hand side plate of the frame on pivot screws 31 and 32,respectively, the pivots for these levers being arranged at difi'erentpoints fore and aft of the machine. Each lever extends rearwardly beyondits pivot and projects beneath a pin 33, which projects laterally fromone of the depending arms 28 of the shift bar or frame. Each of theselevers is a lever of the first order we and extends forwardly to thekeyboard of the machine where it is pivotally connected,

as at 34, with a key stem 35 which extends through a guide opening inthe keyboard plate 3 and is provided at its upper end 105, with a fingerkey. The upper end of the key stem 35, connected with the shift lever29, is connected with a shift key 36 inscribed with suitable indicessuch as capitals, whereas the other shift key 37, which 1 is connectedto the shift lever 30, is inscribed with suitable indices, such asfigures. The shift key lever 30 has one end of a contractile spring 38connected thereto,

the opposite end of said spring being con- 15 nected at 39 to a sideplate of the frame.

One of the depending arms 28 of the shift frame is provided with alaterally projecting lug or stop 40 which is adapted to cooperate withscrew stops 41 and 42 to li1n1t the movements of the case shift rail orframe, and the parts carried thereby, to and away from normal position.The screw stops 41 and 42 are received in and extend through tappedopenings in rearwardly projecting arms 43 and 44,-respectively, of aIlgracljcret 45 secured by screws 46 to the cross ar Eachof the parallelguide links 25 is extended rearwardly beyond its pivot 26 to 13 formrearwardly extending parallel arms 47 which are united at their rearends by a tie rod 48. The links 25 are therefore rigidly'connected tomove, together so that movement transmitted to the shift bar or frame atone side of the machine is transmitted to both shift links or arms 25.

It will be understood that a depression of the figure shift key 37 iseffective to produce a case shifting movement of the platen in order tobring it to a position where the outermost types of the bars will impactat the printing'point, th stops 40 and 42' coiiperating to arrest th'arts in this shifted position. Should, however,

other upper case character carried by the middle types on the bars, itwill be necessary to depress the capital shift key 36. This depressionis effective to elevate the rear end of the lever 29 and move the shiftrail and the parts carried thereby upwardly to the position shown inFig. 4. However, the case shifting movement of the platen is interruptedwhen it reaches a position where a middle type on each bar 1s adapted toimpact at the printing point by an automatically controlled device.Thus, from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 4,it will be seen that anarresting member, designated as a whole by the reference numeral 49, ispivoted on' a shouldered pivot screw 50 to the frame of the machine.This arresting member is slotted at 51 to receive a laterally 'projectinpin 52 which extends from one side 0 a depending ear on the shift lever29, forming a pin and slot connection between said shift lever and thearresting device 49. A depression of the shift key 36 is effective tomove the arresting member 49 so that the hook-like end 53 thereof willbe interposed in the path of the pin 33 and against the bottom of whichpin the rear end of thelever 29 bears to effect an upward case shiftingmovement of the platen. The parts are so timed that the part 53 of thearresting device will be interposed in the path of the pin 33 at a timewhen the platen is in position to receive the impact of the middle typeon each bar, and when the lug 40 reaches about midway between the screwstops 41 and 42, the former of which limits the extreme upwardcase-shifting movement of the platen. An upward pressure on the pin 33,exerted'by depressing the finger key 36, is therefore resisted by thearresting device 49, controlled by the shift lever 29. Upward pressuredirected onthe member 49 is resisted by the pivot 50 of said device sothat the construction is such as to hold the platen against vibration.When finger pressure is released on the shift key 36 the arrestingdevice 49 and the shift lever 29' will be returned to normal position bya contrac tile spring 54, connected at one end 55 to the at operatordesire towritea capital, or'

arresting member and at its opposite end 56 Y to a pin which themachine.

projects from the frame of In order to'provlde spring means tocounterbalance or partly compensate for the weight of the shift rail andcarriage, I have extended one-of the" parallel links 22- downwardlybeyond its-pivot to provide a;

crank arm 57 as shown in Fig. 6; A: bent projection on a bracket plate"62 which is of which is connected at 61 to an-a-ngular' riveted at 63to a side plate of the frame. 1

The power of the spring, therefore, is exerted through the-member 52-22,to counterbalance, or partly compensate for, theweight of the carriageand the case shift rail or frame in order to enable the parts to-beshifted by exerting but a comparatively light pressure on the shiftkeys.

In order to lock the platen in either of the two positions 'shown'inFigs. 3 and 4, to

which it may be shifted from the normal position, I have provided "alocking device, designated as a whole by the reference nu-- meral 64.This device is pivoted to a side plate of the machine by a shoulderedpivot screw 65 and is provided at one "end with a finger piece 66 bywhich it may be controlled. A depending arm of this :device carries alaterally projectingpin 67 which,

when theparts are in the normalposition',

is arranged forward of two upwardly and forwardly extending projections68 and 69 on the shift. key levers 29 and 30, respectively. When,however, either of theshift keys 36 or 37' is depressed the partscontrolled thereby may be locked in the shifted position by moving thefinger piece 66 upwardly to bringthe pin 67 above the-depressedprojection 68 or 69, and thuslock the actuated shift lever and the partscon-" ,trolled thereby against return movement.

When the locking member 64 is again moved to the normal position shownin Fig.1, the

shift lever which has'been maintained locked by the device 64 will bereleased and the parts will return to normal position. In order tomaintain thelockingdevice 64 against accidental displacement from eitherof the two positions to which it may be moved and to limit the pivotalmovements,

of said locking device, I have provided a strap 70 which is fixed at oneend by screws 71 to a side plate of the frame. This strap is bent at 72and at its free end thus partly surrounds the arm of the locking devicewhich carries the finger piece 66. The strap. 7 0, is in the nature of aspring arm provided with a slight projection 73 made b an indenture inthe spring metal from w ich the strap is formed. The. projection 7 3 isiao'.

' adapted to bear against the side of the locking device with suflicientpressure to maintain it against accidental .displacement from either ofthe two positions on which it may be turned on its pivot.

In the present construction the carriage is shown controlled in itsstep-by-step letter space feed movement by a feed rack 7 4 fixed to theguide bar 14 of the carriage by screws 75. Feed dogs 7 6 and 77cotiperate with the feed racltto control the step-by-step movei'nent ofthe carriage. These feed dogs are I carried by a dog rocker 78 which ispivoted at 7 9 in ears 80 which project from a bracket '5' plate, thelatter being fixedly connected to the shift rail or frame 18. Movementis transmitted to the dog rocker by an actuatingmember 81 whichcooperates at its rear if edge 82 with a laterally projecting arm 83 on20. the dogrocker. The actuating member 81 is supported on, the frame ofthe machine by links (not shown)... An arm 84 extends for- Qwardl y fromthe actuating member 81 and is connected to a segmenta universal bar 85.

.25' The universal bar extends in the path of the 7 type bars in theirmovements to the printing position, the forward edge of each type barcontacting near the heel thereof with the front edge of theuniversal-bar to operate the actuating member 81 and the dog rocker.

' It will be seen that while the actuating member 81 is carried by theframe .of the machine-the escapement mechanism comprising. the dogrocker, the feed dogs carried thereby and the feed rack are shiftablewith the carriage during the case shifting move- I ments of the latter,the escapement mechanism being carried in part by the carriage and inpart by the shift rail. 1

From an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be seen that the platen 11 in itscase shifting movements receives at the printing point a straight linemovement on the linea, said line'extendin through a pivot 6 of a ty ebar. It will e seen, moreover, that lines 6 and c drawn through the axisof the platen and through the printing point are per endicular to theline of shift represente by the line a. It will also be seen that theline d which extends through the printing point 1 and substantiallythrough the axis of the platen, when the platen is in a position toreceive the. impact of the middle types on the bars, is substantiallyperpendicular to the line of shift indicated by the line a. The extentof-deviation from the perpendicular ofthis line is represented in Fig.5, although thefigure being drawn on a very much enlarged scaleexaggerates the extent of devia- 'tion from what it would actually be inpractice. From this diagram it will be understood that the two end typeson each bar strike squarely on their feet at the printing point, whereasthe center type for each bar is slightly .ofi' its feet to an extentrepma'aaee resented by the deviation of the line (Z from the axis of theplaten in the middle position of the latter. This deviation is so slightthat in practice no attempt need be made to take care of it in themanufacture of the types, it being found practicable for manufacturingpurposes to make the types with all three printing faces on each bar inthe same plane,

as indicated by the line e in Fig. 7. When I speak of the printing facesof all three types on each bar being in the same plane I disregard thefact that there is a slight curvature in the face of each type to matchthe platen. Disregarding this curvature the printing faces of all threetype on the bar may be so regarded as in the same plane.

If preferred, the types may be manufactured so that the plane of theprinting face of the middle type on each bar is different from that ofthe end types so as to compensate for and correct said middle types tothe extent that they are off their feet. However, it is believed thatthis will be found unnecessary.

In View of the fact that each pivoted type bar has the same extent ofangular move- 'ment to the printing position irrespective of the caseposition to which the platen may be shifted, the printing faces of allof the types will be formed in a like manner, and the printing faces ofall three type on each bar may be in the same plane. But even if it befound desirable to alter the plane of the printing face of the middletype on each bar with reference to the plane of the printing faces ofthe other two types, this would be an easy manufacturing expedient sincethe angular relation between the type faces on all of the bars would bethe same throughout the system.

It will be understood that in accordance with the present invention theguide links of the shift mechanism are so disposed and proportioned asalone to guide the platen so that the axisthereof shifts in a straightline; that the pivots of the type bars are disposed in a plane parallelto the line of shift of the axis of the platen, so that each type barhas the same angular movement in the printing operation for each typethereon in all case positions of the platen; that as shown the line ofshift of the axis of the platen is at an angle to a vertical planepassing through the axis of the platen when the latter is in the normalposition; that the axis of the platen and the printing point shift inparallel planes; that the printing faces of the types on each bar whenin the printing position areparallel with the plane of shifting movementof the axis of the platen in all case positions of the platen; that thefixed pivots on which the lower set of guide links turn are at the rearends of said links and in a plane forward of the fixed pivots of theupper links; and that the forward each bar in the same plane,

end of each of, the lower guide links is con-.

nected to the platen carrier at a point in the in the same plane, andwhereby the type bars have the same extent of angular movement to theprinting position 1n all three case positions of the platen. These features enable me to provide a typewrltmg machine which may bemanufactured at' small cost, whichis simple in construction andoperation and efiicient m use.

Certain of the features herein shown and described relating to thecarriage mountmg are not claimedtper se herein but form thesubject-matter 0 an application filed by me August 4th, 1913, Serial No.7 82,8 59. I

Various changes ma be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof my 1nvention.

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In atypewriting machme, the combmation of printing instrumentalities, .aplaten, means for shifting the platen from normal position to either oftwo other printmg po sitions at will,and arresting means comprising twofixed stops, a movable stop connected with the shift-mechanism-andadapted to move from. one ofsaid fixed stops to the other, a keycontrolled stop, and a part on the shift mechanism adapted to cooperatewith said key controlled stop to arrest the platen at a point in advanceof that which it is arrested by the cooperation, of one of the firstmentioned fixed stops and its co-acting movable stop. y

2. In a typewriting 'machme, the combination of rintinginstrumentalities, a platen,

va shift rame therefor, a stop on the latter,

' two fixed stops for said shift stop, two additional stops one on theshift frame and the other movably mounted on the main frame, .and meansfor actuating said shift frame.

3. In a typewriting machine,the combination of printinginstrumentalities, a platen, a' shift frame therefor, a stop on [thelatter, two fixedstops for said shift stop, two additional stops one onthe shift frame and the other movably mounted on the main frame, two keylevers adapted to move .the shift frame, one set of stops cooperativewhen one of said key levers is actuated and the other set cooperativewhen the other of said key levers is actuated.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of type barseach carrying three types, a platen, and means for causing relativeshifts between said type bars and platen, said means comprising a shiftframe,

two independent levers for actuating said shift frame, one set of stopsto arrest the shifted member when one of said key levers is actuated,and another set of stopsto arrest the shifting member at adifi'erentpoint when the other of said keylevers is actuated;

'5. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation of a series of type barseach carrying three types, a platen, and means for. causing,

relative shifts between said type bars {and platen, said meanscomprising a shift frame, two independent leversfor actuating said shiftframe, a part on said shift framewith which the rear end of each ofsaid.levers engages to actuate said shiftframe, aset of stops for determiningthe amount of move-.

ment of said shift frame when one 'of said levers is operated and anindependent set of stops for determining the amount of movement of thesaid shift frame when the. other of said levers is operated. I p y 6. Ina typewrlting machine, the combi- "nation of a series of type bars eachcarrying three types, a platen, and means for causing relative shiftsbetween said type bars and platen, said means comprising a shift frame,two independent levers for actuating said shift frame, a part-on saidshift frame gage, a stop on said shift frame, a fixed .stop againstwhich the shift frame norm'ally rests, a second fixed stop with whichthe shift frame stop co-acts when thesh-ift framers moved a doubledistance or the distance between two extreme types on a type bar, and amovable stop connected to one of the-key levers and adapted to be movedinto the ath of a part on the shift frame when said ever is actuated,whereby the shift frame is arrested at a single distance position forthe rinting of the middle types on said type ars.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of type barseach carrying three types, a platen, and means for causing relativeshifts between said type bars and platen, said means comprislng a shiftframe,

tance, a fixed stop and a movable sto for arresting the shift frame whenmove one of said dlstances, and a key controlled mov- .able stop forengaging the stud on the shift frame to. arrest the latter when moved tothe other of said distances.

8. In a typeWriting machine, the combination of aseries oftype bars eachcarrying three types, a platen, and means .for causing relative shiftsbetween said type bars and-" u 95 with which the rear ends of saidlevers ena pair of independently pivoted key levers of the first order,the rear ends of which both engage a stud on said shift frame, a movablestop on said shift frame, a fixed 5 stop against which said movable stoprests in the lower case rinting position of the parts, another fixedstop against which said movable stop strikes when the shift frame #ismoved its greatest distance or that bem tween the extreme types on saidt e-bars, a part of sition for the printing of capitals and at whichtime the rst mentioned movable stop stands'at a place intermediate theaforesaid two fixed stops.

' 91:11 a typewriting machine, the combieration memes nation of a platencarrier, a cylindricat platen, two sets of links relatively so disposedand proportioned as alone to ide the platen so that the-center thereofshifts at an angle to a vertical plane passing through said center innormal position, a series of upwardly and rearwardly striking pivotedtype bars having each three types, thepivots of said type bars beingdisposed in a plane parallel with the plane of shift of the centerof'the platen, whereby each type bar has the same angular movement inthe printing opor each type thereon in all case positions of the platen.

Signed at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York,this 22d day of September, A. D. 1913.

Tlit l 5'; J. BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

E. S. Bovmon, Gno. C. Pmacn,

mates of? thto patent be obtafined tor five eenta each, by addressingthe Gommiasiloner oi Eatents,

Wngton, m G.

